A scorching heat hit Shizuoka, Japan, in August, 2020. (Photo: Kyodo/VNA)

The record warm in 2016 was fueled by El Nino meanwhile 2020 has held the No. 1 ranking by itself.

According to data released Friday by the Copernicus Climate Change Service, a program of the European Commission, globally, 2020 was 1.25 degree Celsius above the preindustrial period. Statistics recorded by C3S satellite also showed that in 2020, parts of the Earth experienced higher temperatures than the global average.  2020 stands out for its exceptional warmth in the Arctic and North Siberia, which bore 6 degree Celsius higher than the average temperature in the past 30 year.

Scientists believe that the new report is a reminder that how urgent it is to quickly cut green-house gas emissions across the world to fulfill the goal set in the 2015 Paris climate agreement.